Constant Companions
by Blue Jeans
Summary: Phobos and Deimos had been watching over their princess forever. A one-shot vignette about loyalty and love that even Time and Death could not destroy.


.blue.  
  
  
  
Watchers:  
Eyes that see,  
Hearts that feel;  
Breath for your breath,  
Will for your will...  
We aren't powerless,  
We know.  
Knowledge:  
Our silent companion,  
Sealing our lips  
Stealing our words;  
Always heard  
But never understood.  
Reach out your hand  
Beckon and we shall come  
A promise forever,  
A curse,  
Never to be broken.  
  
- blue  
("Untitled")  
  
  
  
.blue.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Witch and Goddess, how did we mistaken such things  
Of good for evil, and evil for good?"  
  
  
  
Constant Companions  
*******************  
.blue.  
  
  
The Oath.  
  
Hand in hand.  
  
"Breath for breath..."  
  
A tremor ran from her to me.  
  
"Life for life..."  
  
We've waited for this for so long. Are we ready? Truly?  
  
"Beyond death, beyond time, and onto eternity..."  
  
This feels like battles. This feels like Joy.  
  
"We shall protect, we shall serve, and obey duty, breath for breath and life for   
life."  
  
This is the end of the beginning!  
  
"Forever."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Is there ever a point in your life so wonderful it was pain? So glorious that it   
was destiny? And so horrible that you can never forget it because it was exactly at that   
moment you realize that your life has changed forever?  
  
Perhaps it was a series of moments, a series of events, but it was the Oath that had   
bound us to eternity. That and our love.  
  
We had been so naive, so innocent to believe everything in honor, duty, love, and   
justice.  
  
It was our mistake.  
  
It was our undoing.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"That was good ane, but not good enough to beat me!" Smirking, the dark-haired   
woman forcefully pushed the other away, breaking their sword lock.  
  
"I'm not that easily beat, imouto." The other grinned as well, damp raven locks   
flying where they had fallen from the pony-tail as the elder straightened. Dark eyes   
sparkling with amusement as she charged, her attack, deadly and silent.  
  
Speed for speed.  
  
Strength for strength.  
  
Clenching her teeth, the younger smiled as she shifted her weight, sword on guard as   
she leapt up flipping in mid-air. "Got you!" Gasping, the younger blinked as she felt   
the strength of the kick slam into her side. Thrown off momentum, she quickly regained   
direction and landed gracefully on her feet. For a split second her eyes were able to   
focus in search of her opponent again. "You're getting sloppy, imouto."  
  
Dark eyes narrowed as she froze, feeling the cool blade pressed to her throat.  
  
One second too much, she realized. "Only for you, ane." She replied, one lock of   
her dark-hair blocking the vision of her right eye. The younger slowly turned before   
their eyes met, clashing as one trickle of sweat slid down the side of her face like a   
single tear of defeat.  
  
The clapping broke their intense stare, both women stepping back from their deadly   
embrace, surprised to see a young girl stepping out from the darkness of the shadows.   
"Sugoi Phobos, Deimos. I'm sure that Mars is glad that she picked you two as her   
guardians!" The two looked to the odango-haired princess blankly before nodding at the   
compliment and bowing in respect.  
  
"Thank you, highness." Phobos answered.  
  
"Highness? Why, please call me--"  
  
"Serenity," a calm voice, soft yet commanding stilled them all. Both guardians   
looked, eyes bright with pride and hope as the dark-haired woman approached from the dark   
hallway as well. "Have you run away from your studies once more?" The woman blinked her   
dark eyes at the two looking at her with composed faces that hid their joy at her   
appearance. "Phobos? Deimos?" The woman looked surprised from one to the other before   
understanding came into her eyes, "Practicing again?"  
  
"Hai, hime-sama." Deimos offered eagerly.  
  
Phobos looked sharply at her imouto for the other's excited tone but Mars did not   
seemed to be affected. "I'm glad," Mars smiled before turning to the sheepish Serenity.   
"We must return, it is not good for you to miss your studies simply because you do not   
like them."  
  
Princess Serenity pouted at this, "Demo, Mars," the other protested. "I was only   
taking a little break."  
  
Mars smiled kindly at the girl, trailing one finger down the princess's cheek,   
"Those words would not move me," the dark-haired woman answered at last when she lifted   
the other girl's chin so Serenity would now be facing those lambent, mysterious eyes.  
  
Serenity sighed as she met the probing eyes of Mars, "They always send you to get   
me," the odango-haired princess protested wearily as Mars gently lead the girl away.  
  
Phobos and Deimos could only look enviously at the retreating back of the blonde   
princess as they listened to the enthralling chuckle of an amused Mars traveling through   
the hallways to reach their ears and her stern but gentle words echoing down to them.   
"Only because your charms never work on me, hime-sama."  
  
"Do you think, she'll ever look at us like that?" Deimos finally asked when the   
silence once again fell upon them.  
  
"Iie," Phobos answered. Her eyes still searching the shadows for the lingering   
essence of her ward, "that is our job."  
  
Deimos looked away, her eyes searching past the great arches and the dark-night sky.   
"It is always night here," she stated at last. "Even the illusionary sunlight cannot hide   
that."  
  
Phobos smiled at this, "You spend too much time in the simulation room, imouto."   
The raven-haired elder turned to her counterpart. "Your sword skill's getting shabby."  
  
"Oh?" Deimos challenged. "I was just going easy on you, ane."  
  
No other words were spoken, they weren't needed anymore. Not here. Not on the   
training grounds.  
  
And perhaps, one day, their princess would trail a gentle hand down their cheeks and   
look at them with her great, sparkling eyes. Perhaps she'll even gently lift their chins   
so their eyes could meet hers and utter in her stern, yet gentle voice their names with   
the same loving way she did her princess's.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Love.  
  
A constant burning flame like that of a candle's. Yet, it is so frail that it   
could be snuffed out so easily. Though it also has the ability to grow and engulf the   
world. We are never afraid of the heat and the burning hunger of the fire until we are   
burned. Each time we watched and loved.  
  
Each time we watched her love another.  
  
Each time we were helpless to protect her from her own heart's decisions.  
  
If only she knew what we know now. If only she had listened to our pleading words.   
If only she had seen how much we had loved her and still love her, then maybe things would   
not have been this way. Yet, then again, there were the others.  
  
Love.  
  
The thing we fought and gave our lives away for. Our love for our princess. Our   
love for her and her alone.  
  
Maybe one day she'll see past this illusion and we will once again be freed by the   
beauty of her eyes and her smile and most importantly, her understanding.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hime-sama," raven hair slid past her shoulder as she bowed.  
  
The pale hand slid through the same dark mass of hair. "Phobos, you really should   
tie back that hair like you do during training." Mars commented absent-mindedly, not   
noting the sudden stillness upon the woman beneath her hand. "A surprise attack might   
give the intruder advantage when and if they get too close." The hair hid the ecstasy   
etched on Phobos' face before eyes were quickly closed and a frown marred her expression,   
one that almost betrayed pain.  
  
"Hai, Hime-sama." She answered, hoping the dark-haired princess would not note the   
slight catch in her voice. Those powerful hands stayed within her hair, a soft caress,   
one that she wish would never end.  
  
"You may rise, Phobos." Mars finally said, retracting her hand from Phobos' loose   
hair. "There is something I want you to keep a secret, something that you will witness   
this night." Phobos stilled, uncertain and suspicious all at once.  
  
"Hime-sama?" She questioned.  
  
"I have yet to speak to Deimos, but I am sure you'll relay the message back to   
her," Mars continued.  
  
Puzzled, Phobos looked questioningly at her ward, "What message should I relay back   
to my imouto, Hime-sama?" She asked cautiously.  
  
Mars glanced over one pale shoulder at her, dark eyes searching for something Phobos   
knew not what. The guardian fought back the tightness in her throat at seeing the   
contrast between her princess's pale back and dark hair, trying to still her mind from   
worry and her heart from desire. "Caution," Mars smiled slightly at the word though   
Phobos knew not what she meant. "It is good that you suspect, but the reason for caution   
tonight is from within." Mars strode to her window, her blood-red gown rippling from the   
breeze flittering past her balcony doors. "There shall be a meeting tonight between the   
Moon and her Earth," at this Phobos clamped her lips together in distaste, forcing the   
gasp down her throat once more, refusing to allow such a show of surprise. She stayed   
silent, waiting for her princess to explain. "We are in high honor, it would seem," the   
raven-haired princess slid her long and elegant fingers through her hair. "The Prince is   
throwing a grand ball on Earth and the Princess wishes to go in disguise."  
  
"The danger is great," Phobos stated softly, unable to keep the slight edge in her   
voice.  
  
"Yes, but there is always danger in such things." Strands of black, sleek and shiny   
beneath the warm glow of Earth light, rippled in the wind. "But the little one likes it   
that way; such forbidden love has already blossomed."  
  
"Hime-sama?" Phobos questioned, her iron will was the only thing that kept her in   
tact through the whole of the conversation.  
  
"I will be going down there to protect my princess," Mars turned to her at last.   
The will in those words killed the protest at the tip of her tongue.  
  
"Hai, hime-sama." She whispered at last.  
  
Mars' shadow fell upon her as one elegant finger lifted her chin and she came to   
meet those drowning, searching eyes. "You think this is a mistake?" Her princess   
inquired but the answer was clear to both of them. "It is foolish, I agree." Mars leaned   
forward, so close that Phobos wondered if her princess could hear her own breath still and   
then quicken; wondered if she could feel her princess' warmth like this forever. "But I   
live to serve my princess, Phobos, you understand that, ne?" A careless question with an   
obvious answer.  
  
And then the dark-haired mistress withdrew, taking the warmth of her breath with her.   
"Hai, hime-sama." Phobos finally answered. "What is it that you wish for us to do?"  
  
  
* * *   
  
  
People who speak of love as if it were not a sacrifice are foolish or blind. People   
who do not understand that the deepest love holds the deepest sorrow have never   
experienced love at all. And those who claim that promises are meant to be broken are   
cowards who cannot stand the visage of love. They do not understand the strength of an   
oath or can ever truly experience joy when they are that much closer to the one they love,   
that much closer to a love that becomes pain and a pain that becomes love.  
  
Are we foolish?  
  
Perhaps.  
  
But this is the true face of love beneath the mask of glamour and the eloquence of   
words. This is the world that had seduced us, that we had promised ourselves into like   
virgin brides and warriors. We are not forever, but our promises are. We are not   
eternal, but the echo of our words shall go down in history.  
  
We are not slaves; we are bounded by choice and choice alone.  
  
Do we regret what we choose?  
  
Perhaps you would know if you were a man who traded his eyes for wisdom so that he  
could see the world in a better light.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"I cannot believe that of all the things we are stuck with, patrolling this place   
would be one of them!" Deimos sighed as she ran her fingers along the grey, stone wall   
that supported the building.  
  
"It might not have been what you imagined doing when we signed up for duty, is it?"   
Phobos agreed with a slight smile at her imouto. "Demo, it's for our hime-sama, it is   
worth it is it not?"  
  
Deimos grunted as she leaned back against the wall, turning her head slightly so she   
could face the veranda doors. "Their security is alright," the dark-haired woman finally   
relented but decided to change the subject.  
  
Phobos smiled to herself at this, looking up into the night sky that was half-  
covered by foliage and branches. Yet stars decorated the sky through the darkness and   
moonbeams danced upon the leaves of the trees. "The prince must have been expecting   
surveillance," Phobos finally commented dryly from the roof-top.  
  
"The place might be well situated for coverage from above," Deimos agreed. "But   
this is a horrible place for combat from below."  
  
"Yes," Phobos agreed wearily, "too many hiding places." There was a long silence   
before Deimos sighed dreamily, "What is it?" Phobos asked from above.  
  
"Hime-sama is so beautiful tonight!" She answered, "Even the High Princess could   
not convince our hime-sama to wear anything but red."  
  
"It wouldn't have suited her otherwise." Phobos answered, "Hime-sama takes orders   
from no one, hime-sama will not bow to such ridiculous requests as to let go of her   
planetary symbol, her pride, and her heritage. That girl is almost insulting." The dark-  
haired guardian scoffed.  
  
"Only ignorant," Deimos sighed. "She's nothing like our hime-sama."  
  
A gasp broke through Phobos' concentration when the silence had fallen once again,   
"What is it?" Phobos demanded, frightened that Mars might be hurt.  
  
"Hime-sama is dancing with someone," Deimos answered incredulously.  
  
Phobos quirked a brow at this in the dark and flipped upside down from the window,   
hanging from above the roof to see. And there it was, a man, golden and shiny, dancing   
with their hime-sama, laying his hand on her waist and her delicate back. He was laughing   
about something and their dark-haired princess smiled politely at his words. The strange   
Earth man was touching *their* hime-sama, holding her hand, feeling the smooth skin on her   
back. Phobos dropped next to her sister in one graceful swoop, uncomfortable and yet   
weary at the trembling shoulders that bespoke of her imouto's anger.  
  
"That bastard is touching her!" Deimos hissed, narrowing her eyes dangerously.  
  
"Imouto," Phobos warned the younger. "We have made a promise and we shall keep it."  
  
Deimos stilled, "A promise to hime-sama." The dark-haired warrior sighed in defeat,  
"A promise I cannot break."  
  
"Yes," Phobos rested a gentle hand onto Deimos' shoulder. "A promise neither of us   
can break."  
  
And so they watched in silent indignation as their princess danced with the blond-  
haired Earth man. Watched in pain as the man brushed their mistress' hand with his lips,   
unable to break the chains of the promise that bounded them to her, to Mars.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Look, the sun is setting.  
  
It isn't my first sun set and it won't be my last, but every time, I feel it is as if   
it were the first time that I ever laid eyes on it. I remember the first time I saw my   
first real sunset, when the illusionary night and day was ripped away. When the pillars   
of the Moon Kingdom crumbled and the palace burned. I remember the flames engulfing our   
cold, cold world and the darkness of the sky as the sun shined so far away.  
  
It was over then, do you remember, imouto?  
  
It was over.  
  
Our pain, our hunger for her love was over.  
  
Yet the pain of her death had lingered in our hearts as we lay dying close to her   
yet unable to reach her, unable to protect her in our weakness.  
  
We were helpless.  
  
We were so helpless.  
  
As helpless as one trying to stop the sun from setting, we could do nothing but die   
with our arms empty of our hime-sama and the bitter-tears as our only companion into  
oblivion.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
War is not a silent thing. Yet, it has such a force that it is not until you feel   
pain does your perception of war become real, and it is then that you wake up to a   
nightmare.  
  
A nightmare that seems unending because it is an ending.  
  
Somewhere in the dance we can hear the echoes of laughter, dark and menacing, lacing   
through the air crackling with mana and magick. This air smelling of burnt flesh and   
blood.  
  
A breath of Death.  
  
The youma came, invading the walls, swarming the place till everywhere you look a   
monster lurked, and everywhere you went the black bodies of youma covered up the light   
that once glowed here.  
  
She heard Phobos scream somewhere close, a battle cry that nearly stilled her.   
Phobos never made a sound in battle and she feared to turn and see the carnage her ane,  
her strong and innocent ane, was wreaking. Her eyes adjusted and she suddenly heard  
somewhere her hime-sama scream and her whole body stilled then in terror. "Hime-sama!"  
And the rage focused inside of her as she faced the blackest beings that were a part of   
the threat to her hime-sama, those that wanted to hurt her hime-sama.  
  
Somewhere her hime-sama needed her and Phobos.  
  
"You're in the way," Phobos stated bleakly.  
  
"Don't worry," Deimos drawled, her anger shimmering beneath the surface of her cold   
glare. "We'll help you move out of the way."  
  
And the twin blades that each weilded glimmered blue beneath the light of the   
darkening Earth.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Time.  
  
Time does not wait for us.  
  
Love.  
  
Love cannot fight against temporary death nor heal pain everlasting.  
  
Yet somehow, it is ecstasy.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
It was too late.  
  
Deimos' left leg was slashed badly in two places, blood trailing down to her pale   
skin and into her shoes. Phobos didn't have the strength to support her imouto when the   
other collapsed at the scene before them, one of her own arms was broken and now she could   
only wield one of her twin swords. All around them were endless piles of bodies, yet what   
greeted them was more horrible then the blood and the gore they had to step through to   
reach here.  
  
Hime-sama was here.  
  
Hime-sama was sleeping.  
  
"She'll wake," there was hysteria in Deimos' voice. "She has to!" Her sister tried   
desperately to rise but there was no more strength in her when the pillar of their world   
lay before them on the alter of death. "She was always so stubborn, why now?"  
  
And the laughter reached their ears then and they turned to see the blond-haired man   
that had dared to touch their hime-sama grinning darkly at the bodies. And then he   
turned. "That bastard!" Phobos finally hissed out harshly.  
  
There was no more hope.  
  
Only revenge!  
  
'Phobos? Deimos? Practicing again?' That sweet voice was forever silenced.   
'Phobos, you really should tie back that hair like you do during training.' Those elegant   
fingers lacing through her hair, gone.  
  
That warm breath against her cheek...  
  
"Ara," the once golden man smiled wickedly. "Two faithful companions."  
  
The man who grazed their hime-sama's hand with that kiss of Death.  
  
"Imouto," Phobos reached out her hand, dipped in blood, out to her reflection. "We   
can do it one last time."  
  
"For hime-sama, ane." Deimos answered and was finally able to rise once more.  
  
"For hime-sama." she agreed.  
  
It was hopeless, but anger, hatred, and despair drove them on. They had nothing to   
lose and everything to gain.  
  
'Do you think, she'll ever look at us like that?'  
  
Twin swords flashed, one in each hand as they charged, a battle cry upon their lips,   
calling out to the powers of Mars.  
  
Maybe this time, the answer would be yes.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
You don't know yet, but we've been waiting for you, hime-sama.  
  
*I'm Phobos,* the black crow said.  
  
*And I'm Deimos,* the sister crow replied.  
  
And we've been waiting our whole lives for you, hime-sama.  
  
"What are you doing with those crows?" The blond man that claimed to be hime-sama's   
ojii-san asked the dark-haired child -- such a beautiful child.  
  
"It's Phobos and Deimos, ojii-san." Hime-sama smiled and lighted up our world   
again.  
  
*We'll watch over you from now on,* Phobos said.  
  
*Forever and ever,* Deimos agreed.  
  
Even if you don't know it, hime-sama, we'll always be here.  
  
Call it a curse that we cannot say this with human words, call it an omen that we   
are still helpless to protect you. Call it disaster that the moment you touched us we   
knew what destiny had in store for you and all the things you have already forgotten. We   
can only warn you know, communicate to you through a different medium until you're strong   
enough to set us free from this shell, till we can be by your side again.  
  
Until then, we shall be content with your breath on our feathers and your caress on   
our beaks.  
  
Even if Death rides on our wings this time, even if we had ended our days in   
disaster, we shall always love you, hime-sama.  
  
Forever and onto eternity.  
  
  
  
.The End.  
  
  
  
.blue.  
  
  
  
Usual disclaimer.  
  
Ane - Older Sister  
Ara - Oh  
Demo - But  
Hai - Yes  
Hime-sama - Princess  
Iie - No  
Imouto - Younger Sister  
Ne - Usually meaning: Don't you agree?  
Sugoi - Wonderful/Amazing/Great  
  
  
If you don't know who Phobos and Deimos are.... umm, where have you been?  
They're the two crows that are constant companions to Hino Rei in the anime.  
In the manga, they are her actual guardians who came from the Silver  
Millennium, a time when cats can turn into people and crows too! Only this  
time, I choose to have them not be crows till after Death had taken them  
the first time. The reason they are like that is because, well, they  
swore an oath to Mars but they were "D-E-A-D". So... umm... I guess Queen  
Serenity screwed up (yet again). Oh, and the golden man/blond-haired man,  
in case it's not obvious enough, he's Jadeite. Yes, THE Jadeite with the  
annoying laugh. He's cuter in the manga but his hair is also poofier in  
the manga too. But I'm sure he's really cute considering that Kaidou is  
REALLY sexy ^-^;; hehehehe. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're all wondering  
how a silly author like me can come up with a serious fanfic like the one  
you just read... I'm sure if you imagine me on crack, it would be a lot  
easier to explain this than my personality. Anywhooooooo... hope you  
enjoyed the fic and yup, I'm real proud, there's probably 2 existing  
Phobos/Deimos fanfic in the whole wide range of SM fanfics out there and I  
have yet to read one that dealt with them being soldiers and protectors  
of Mars. Anyhoo, I like to think this is original... so let's pretend  
that this is like... original, kay?  
  
--blue ^-^ 


End file.
